Jewelled Council

The Jewelled Council is an Ordâkh-aligned ruling body that once exercised effective control over the city of Zajâna on behalf of the Empire of Ordâkh. Following the Blue Mutiny, its authority was reduced to a small portion of the city and its surrounding military encampments, though it remains a significant threat to Zajâni independence.

During Ordâkh's conquest of Zajâna, the empire established the Jewelled Council as a shadow government to administer the city while maintaining the appearance of local rule. Composed of powerful Ordâkhai figures and collaborators, the council answered ultimately to the Hûl and governed from the Hall of Lajór, the former imperial palace of the city. Under the Jewelled Council, Jajân was tightly controlled. The council oversaw taxation, military coordination, and religious enforcement, including the compelled worship of Sauron. While some civic institutions were permitted to remain, real authority rested with the council and the Ordâkhai garrison.

The Blue Mutiny shattered the Jewelled Council's dominance. As Ordâkhai forces were driven from much of the city, members of the council and their loyal troops withdrew into defensible positions. Within the city, they retained control of the Hall of Lajór and its immediate surroundings. Outside the walls, Ordâkhai forces regrouped at Jag Golód, a large encampment in Kighân where much of the council's remaining military strength is concentrated. Khastakhól, a leading figure of the Jewelled Council, remains within the Hall of Lajór and continues to hold court, claiming authority over Jajân and asserting the council's legitimacy as rulers of the city in Ordâkh's name.

Although severely weakened, the Jewelled Council has not been destroyed. From the Hall of Lajór and Jag Golód, it coordinates resistance against the Doorwards of Zajâna and seeks opportunities to retake the city by force or subterfuge. The divided state of Zajâna, with its eastern districts still under Ordâkh influence, is a direct result of the council's survival. The continued presence of the Jewelled Council stands as a reminder that the Blue Mutiny, though successful in breaking Ordâkh's grip on most of the city, did not fully end imperial ambition in Mûr Ghala.